How to hold a billiard cue. How to learn how to correctly perform different types of shots in billiards: video Why billiard players hit the bottom of the ball
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The first stage in learning to play billiards is setting the shot itself, training the accuracy of the sight, and practicing hand movements. The technical practice of the strike is quite easy, but you should immediately learn how to perform it correctly. Most beginners ignore this, setting themselves the wrong goal right away. Your task is not to drive the ball into the pocket. The task is to comprehend the blow, performing it in such a way that the two balls, bypassing the collision, arrive at the place where you wish. It is advisable to work on fundamental skills using regular swings “head-on”: knocking out the cue ball at the center point of the ball. When your technical skill is already at a relatively acceptable level, it is time to learn more about different types of strikes and begin to improve them. The type of hit on the cue ball is determined by the direction of displacement of the point of impact from the center of the ball. There are 9 similar directions and each of them serves as the name of a particular blow.
Types of cue strikes on the cue ball
You can touch the cue ball area with a billiard cue in any way. The easiest way to decide on different directions is to use the pattern of shots in billiards. So, the types of strikes:
- Klapstoss - hitting the center zone of the target. The starting blow from which the polishing of billiard technique begins. The remaining beats moving away from the center point are called “effe”. One of the main ones, which makes it possible to “place” the ball reliably. When hitting exactly at its central point in the plane, opposite the billiard surface, the cue ball makes only a rhythmic forward movement and, having come into contact with the “foreign” ball, remains in place. The ball that in the game will bounce in a given direction.
- Roll up - runout above the center mark of the ball. Often there is a need for “one’s” ball to come forward without colliding with the “alien” one. For this purpose, a slow, elongated blow is applied to the upper area of the cue ball. Here the cue ball, in addition to being pushed away from the player, will catch the oscillatory movement and, after colliding with the ball being played, pause for a second and move forward. By the way, it’s perfect for debutants, it’s easy to do, and the aim is quite accurate when hitting a given shot.
- Guy - runout below the center point of the ball. It differs from rolling up in greater complexity, since the ball must be given the opposite horizontal torsion. When the need arises to move “your” ball back, the blow is directed to the lower area of the cue ball. Here, in contrast to the rolling strike, along with the slow forward movement, the cue ball will be rewarded with a spin around the horizontal axis to the opposite side and, staying in place, bypassing the strike, will roll back.
Cue shots in billiards are famous for the backdrop, because it is the most beautiful and complex of the beats. Its application is quite extensive. The presence of a sticker for the cue is of great importance here. Only a properly chalked, rounded, elastic and rough surface will allow the beating to be performed accurately.
4. Right side - a strike to the area exclusively to the right of the center mark of the cue ball. With such a strike, the cue ball acquires, in addition to a slow push forward, a rotational movement around a vertical axis passing through the center of the ball, counterclockwise, and, colliding with the ball being played, giving it a forward movement, spinning like a top and carried away by its oscillatory rotation, it will only move to the right .
5. Left side - strike into the zone strictly to the left side of the center of the cue ball. The effect of such an oscillation is similar to the previous one, only the beating comes out in a vertical rotation clockwise and after a collision with another ball it will move to the left.
The next four patterns of shots in billiards are recognized as particularly complex and are called combined pushes, since they simultaneously include components of side hits, as well as roll-up or pull-back.
6. Upper right side or roll to the right - hit a point to the right and up from the center of the cue ball. Such a push is made, if necessary, so that the ball, after passing through a collision with a directed ball, rolls to the right side and forward. The blow with the cue falls on the upper right area of the ball slowly and slowly. The resulting blow imparts three types of movement to the ball:
Forward forward;
Accelerating movement - roll;
There is some deviation, barely noticeable to the eye, to the right due to the lateral oscillation of the ball around the vertical axis.
7. Upper left side or roll to the left – a push to the area to the left and up from the center mark of the cue ball. The results of the given cue ball are similar to the previous one, only the ball moves to the left and forward.
9. Lower left side or pull to the left - strike to the area to the left and down from the center point of the ball. Allows you to “pull your” cue ball back and to the left when it comes into contact with the one being played.
Types of cue ball hits on an object ball
Taking into account the impact of the cue ball on the object ball, there are two subtypes of shots: straight and cut.
"Direct" blow
“Straight” balls are the arrangement of balls on the table when the cue ball and the target with the pocket are located on a straight line, leading to their center points connecting.
A particularly complicated push in a billiard competition is called a “straight” push, which is applied through the entire billiard table, “your” ball is distant from the target at an impressive distance.
Such a strike requires enormous precision.
"Cut" blow
“Cutting” is what players call playing balls that are outside the line that concentrates the striking centers and pockets. "Cutting" in many situations is better when the target area is visible. If the balls are placed at an angle of 90 degrees, then this position is considered “limit”.
Additionally, such shots have been developed when the object ball does not immediately go into the pocket, but bounces off the side, and then falls:
· doublet;
· cut doublet;
· croise (reverse stroke; the cue ball, after contact with the object ball, will cross the trajectory of its move towards the pocket)
Doublet
If artificial lines drawn mentally from the cue ball to the target ball and from it to the pocket form an isosceles triangle, the angle of incidence will be equal to the angle of reflection. The target ball is hit directly “head-on”, into the immediate core of the ball, and it falls into the pocket. Such a doublet is considered direct. It is recognized as the most lightweight doublet strike.
It is recommended to hit the double into the middle pocket smoothly. Under a given condition, even in the case of a not entirely accurate shot, the target ball, having hit the lip of the pocket, will bounce off it and collide with its other sponge. Then, after hesitating, he will fall. In the event of an extremely inaccurate hit, the ball, having come into contact with the sponge, will move away from the pocket to a certain distance and the stand will not come out.
Cut doublet
A cut doublet differs from a straight one by a complex blow. Here the target cannot be beaten head-on. The ball must be "cut". This action at a small angle of incidence significantly increases the display angle. With a cut doublet it is possible to place balls of maximum complexity.
Croise-reverse
If the ball is located at an excessively obtuse angle, so much so that it is impossible to play it with either a straight or cut doublet, then a doublet called a croisé, or, simply, a reverse one, is used.
RUSSIAN BILLIARDS: hitting technique
The first thing you need to start with is just take a cue. The next thing is to get into the correct stance and bridge. Then take aim correctly, prepare the cue for striking, and strike evenly and smoothly. Actually, this is what the striking technique consists of.
It is clear that each player must find his own individual style. But at the same time, it is necessary to comply with the basic requirement of the technique, which is to perform a straight strike exclusively with the weight of the cue.
To understand how to hold a cue correctly, you need to feel its weight at the moment of striking.
This can be done if the grip is not too tight, but not too loose.
I hold the cue mainly with two fingers of my right hand - the thumb and forefinger, which form a tight enough ring to feel the weight of the cue, and at the same time allow me not to strain the muscles of the hand. Before impact, the heel of the palm does not touch the cue. When swinging and moving back, the little finger, middle and ring fingers are straightened, and when the cue approaches the ball, they grasp it, but do not pinch it. In the last phase of striking, the muscles of the hand must be relaxed: their tense state may affect the straightness of the blow, which is undesirable.
To make it easier for you to learn how to hold a cue correctly, watch the work of your hand, observe it. If you learn to observe with your mind's eye, your work on your grip will become easier. And therefore, in the future it will be easier to learn how to properly strike a high-quality blow. One of the main conditions is the ability to use the weight of the cue. When preparing for a strike, you need to learn how to move the cue using its weight, without applying additional effort. When performing the movement correctly, you will notice that it is the weight of the cue that helps it walk exactly in one line. Imagine a suspended log that has been swung and released and continues to move along a given line. The same freedom of movement must be given to the cue, because only under its own weight does it begin to walk exactly along one line naturally, with correct position right shoulder and elbow.
The difficulty here is the need for smooth transitions from moving forward to moving backward and vice versa without making a complete stop. Concentrate your gaze on the tip of the cue and make as long swings as possible. The longer the swing, the easier it is to see the line the cue is moving and feel its weight. When studying this movement, you can use a mirror. Make sure there is no angle between the cue and the line of impact. The angle is often formed during the backswing. and this is one of the most common mistakes when a player loses the line of impact, winding the turnik of the cue behind himself. The reflection in the mirror will show whether this angle is formed or not.
Make sure that the elbow of your right hand is higher than your shoulder and remains at the same height, clearly above the line of impact. Then it will be easier for you to move the cue along one line and feel its weight. Pay special attention to ensure that your elbow does not drop down when moving the cue back and forth. When you learn how to move the cue fairly smoothly, begin to imitate the blow.
To do this, after making 4-5 movements of the cue back and forth, stop the cue, smoothly move it back as far as possible and pause. After this, smoothly move the cue forward with its weight, that is, as if letting it go forward, without adding speed or slowing it down. Ideally, this resembles the movement of a sea wave, which rolls evenly and hits the pier. Continue the forward movement to the end when the elbow closes in the joint, keeping it at the same height.
Why do I advise not to lower your elbow? Because then the blow is more even (although there is a blow when the elbow drops). One way or another, the elbow will drop a little, but the fixed position of its height contributes to the execution of an even blow.
The pause and the start of the cue movement after it is a very important part of the stroke. During the pause, try to feel how your body is standing, whether there are any deviations or oscillations forward - backward, right - left. Learn to start smoothly after a pause so that your body remains absolutely motionless.
For those who want to become more familiar with V. Lazarev’s training system, we advise you to purchase his book Billiards: a game of the mind and the power of imagination. The book is recommended as tutorial on Russian billiards by the International Pyramid Committee and the Council of Billiard Champions.
You need to practice basic skills using simple “head-on” shots: hitting the cue ball in the center of the ball. If your equipment is already more or less good level, and you have learned, it’s time to get acquainted with different types of strikes and practice them.
Types of cue strikes on the cue ball
There are different ways to hit the cue ball with a cue. The easiest way to understand different types of strikes is to use a simple diagram:
1. strike in the center - “klapstos”. The basic shot from which the development of billiards technique begins. All other hits on the ball offset from the center are called “effe”, to perform them you need to very carefully monitor the condition of the sticker, constantly rub it with chalk;
2. strike above the center point - “roll up”. Excellent for beginners, easy to perform, the aim with such a blow is the most accurate;
3. hit below the center - “draw”. Unlike rolling, it is much more difficult, because the ball needs to be given a reverse horizontal rotation. It must be performed softly, but with a clear, accentuated blow;
4. blows with a screw. You can only give the ball a strictly right or left screw; beginners can do them too. If you move the point of impact further up or down, you will get combined blows - a side screw with a pullback, or with a roll. They are much more difficult, you should already have a good shot, you need to perform them without sudden jerks, very accurately, smoothly, the force of the blow can be adjusted only by the length of the cue and the distance of the supporting hand from the cue ball.
Types of cue ball hits on an object ball
Depending on how the cue ball hits the object ball, there are two types of shots: straight and cut. A straight ball is more difficult to execute; you need to hit it very accurately and technically correctly. In addition, there are also shots when the object ball does not go straight into the pocket, but is pushed off the side, and then falls. This:
- doublet;
- cut doublet;
- croise (a reverse shot; the cue ball, after contact with the object ball, crosses the trajectory of its movement towards the pocket).
The most difficult shots in billiards: description and application
He knows a lot of the most difficult and beautiful strikes, made with professional skill. The game masters have even developed a special one that greatly increases the chances of winning the game. Here are some difficult shots in billiards that you can easily learn after mastering the basics of this game:
- jump (the cue ball jumps over a nearby ball and continues moving towards the target);
- apricole (blow from the side to the object ball);
- counter-touch (the object ball bounces off the board, hits the cue ball again, and after the second contact falls into the pocket). It is better to learn such complex techniques when you have a good command of the basic billiards technique.
The technique of hitting in billiards consists of several stages. The first of them is hitting the ball with a cue, the intricacies of which we will now consider in more detail.
The effective hit of the cue ball on the cue ball may be different, but it determines the nature of the subsequent movement of the ball on the table. The blow is struck with the cue at one of many imaginary points on the surface of the billiard ball.
The secret of a good strike is precisely to correctly determine this point and hit it. The accuracy of a shot in different types of billiard games is different (in Russian, for example, the accuracy is high and is measured in fractions of a millimeter).
Of course, in theory it is difficult to describe all possible hits on the ball, but it is customary to identify nine main points on the surface of the ball, hitting which with the cue we give the cue ball the required direction of movement.
- The center point is located exactly in the center of the ball. “Hit the center” or “Klapstos” - firecracker from German. By hitting the center of the billiard ball, you impart to it a forward motion, which, taking into account the friction on the cloth, turns into a smooth rolling on the table. This shot, with a certain accuracy, is effective and, in the absence of interference, can be easily performed even by novice billiard players. However, in cases where the distance between the balls is large, or the cue ball is pressed against the side of the billiard table, such a shot is much more difficult or simply impossible.
If the striker does not hit the center of the ball, but hits a little lower, the cue ball will not roll, but will remain in place, since the movement will be balanced by the rotation of the ball in reverse side. This blow is called a “stop”.
It is recommended to master the technique of hitting the ball with a central strike, and then move on to more complex twists. - A roll - a shot to the top center point - is performed if the cue ball must continue to move forward after colliding with the object ball. This blow is also one of the simple ones, suitable for beginners. It should be performed long and smoothly.
The rolling technique depends on the location of the balls. If the distance from the cue ball to the object ball is small (0.5 m or less), you should hit it casually, almost at the top point of the ball, hard and short. If the cue ball is at a greater distance from the object ball (more than 0.5 m), you need to hit the cue approximately halfway between the center of the ball and its upper edge. - Hitting the bottom point of the ball is called a “draw”. You should hit this way if you want the cue ball to not continue moving after the hit, but to roll back. Pull - blow for experienced players, it doesn’t work for everyone right away. You need to hit quickly and softly. Keep the cue parallel to the plane of the billiard table. At a short distance Between the balls, the cue must be raised and hit at an angle of 45º.
- A hit to the left extreme point of the ball - the left side kick - gives the ball forward motion and clockwise rotation. After hitting the object ball with the cue ball, the cue ball will move to the left.
- A blow to the right extreme point of the ball - the right side kick - gives the ball forward motion and rotation counterclockwise. After hitting the object ball with the cue ball, the cue ball will go to the right.
- Hit to the upper left point of the ball - upper left side kick. With such a hit, the cue ball, after contact with the object ball, will move more quickly forward and to the left.
- Accordingly, a blow to the upper right point of the ball is the upper right side. The cue ball will move forward and to the right after contact with the object ball.
- Hit to the lower left point of the ball - lower left side kick. When performing this shot, you need to understand that the cue ball, due to the reverse rotation, will move to the left and back.
- Hit to the lower right point of the ball - lower right side kick. The cue ball, after contacting the object ball, will go to the right and back.
First, we determine the expected path of the object ball into the pocket, then the aiming point.
To do this you need:
Know (or measure) the diameter of the ball (standard balls in Russian billiards have a diameter of 60 and 68 mm, in American billiards - 57 mm);
Place 1/2 of the diameter along the line of the intended path of the object ball in the direction opposite to the ordered pocket - this will be the aiming point.
All that remains for you is to aim at a given point and hit the cue ball.
Rub the sticker with chalk before each stroke.
Keep the hand with which you are going to strike at a fairly close distance from the body, but without allowing the cue to touch the body, hips, edges of clothing, etc.
Do not push the elbow of your right hand to the side and do not press it to the body.
Make sure your elbow and hand move easily and relaxed.
When hitting, aim the cue forward in a perfectly straight, horizontal (or nearly horizontal) line.
Before throwing the shot, make a few gentle movements to simulate the strike and adjust your aim point or stance if necessary.
When performing a shot correctly, the player should be absolutely motionless, with the exception of a pendulum-like movement of the area of the right arm from the elbow joint to the wrist (some players slightly lower their elbow after hitting the cue ball, this usually does not harm the game).
The hand and wrist are relaxed, they work like a hinge and should not affect the trajectory of the cue or the force of the blow. In very rare cases, a short wrist shot is used (the elbow is motionless, and the cue is driven only by the hand), beginners should not use it until they have mastered the basic technique of the strike.
After contact with the cue ball, your cue should move at least 5-10 cm to the place where the cue ball stood before the impact, as if “accompanying” it.
Here, as in many other sports, smoothness and uniformity of movement play a decisive role.
Try not to jerk the cue or stop immediately after it hits the cue ball: let the cue gently move forward and stop without your additional effort.
While tracing the path of the cue ball, freeze in your stance after making the shot, at least until the cue ball meets the ball. Do not rush to straighten up or raise the cue immediately after hitting.
The most common mistake new pool players make is hitting too hard. A typical weak shot in pool is considered to be a shot in which the cue ball, launched on an empty table at the opposite side (along the table), travels a path of approximately two table lengths, reflecting off the sides once or twice.
A blow of this force is used by experienced players 90% of the time. Practice a straight center shot with the cue ball into the boards on an empty table so that you can control the force of the shot without straining.
When playing billiards, control over playing field, the location of the balls on it before and after your hit. To a large extent, this also applies to the first blow of the party - the robbery of the pyramid (Fig. 28).
It is important to remember that you can only break the pyramid as much as possible with a head-on blow to the top of the pyramid. Place the cue ball at any point behind the home line (eight-of-eight pool game), hit the cue ball forcefully 3-5mm above center, aiming for the top of the pyramid.
Your cue stick will stop at approximately the center mark after impact. Some players use a roll when doing this kind of robbery. The probability of a successful hit is quite high, since the pyramid will probably completely break and one of the balls will most likely fall into the pocket (it is better if it is not the cue ball or the eighth ball). However, you are unlikely to be able to plan such a game further, especially if not a single ball ends up in the pocket.
How to play the first shot with maximum benefit?
Most experienced players agree that when breaking a pyramid, you should use a hit that, depending on your level, will allow you to maintain control of the table. It is not advisable to use an obvious side kick and a roll-up strike on the cue ball.
Try the following option as a workout. Place the cue ball 7-10 cm from the board on the home line. Hit the shot just below and to the left of the center of the cue ball, but not so low as to give it significant backward rotation.
Aim for the second ball from the top of the pyramid. Your goal is to send the top ball into the middle pocket. Depending on the force of the blow, after hitting the board, you can send the ball towards the front board, and the balls at the base of the pyramid, in a good situation, into the corner pockets.
Such a blow requires some practice, but it gives a good result, as you will definitely see for yourself.
In the game of billiards, as in any other sport, there are shots, the use of which is taboo. Such strikes include: push, push and double strike.
A push is performed when the cue ball and object ball are close to each other and to the pocket. Basically, novice players try to put the object ball in the pocket without lifting the cue from the cue ball (Fig. 29), for which they receive penalty points.
In Fig. Figure 30 shows the correct execution of a hit on balls located in a certain way: in such a game situation it is best to use cutting.
As a rule, the pressure is performed by beginners in a situation where the ball being played and the cue ball are at the mouth of the pocket. At the same time, the cue is held parallel to the plane of the ball, positioning it along the long side, and with a pushing motion they drive the other ball into the pocket (Fig. 32).
Such a strike is not called a penalty. The balls in the position described above must be played sharply, as in the previous case (Fig. 31).
Double punch applied when, when aiming, the cue stick touches the cue ball. A double strike is also punishable by a penalty point.
